School Harder
by CeciliaRose
Summary: The first episode in The Next Generation Series. Centered around the childrenor spawn, or whatever of the Scoobies and the AI team.
1. Starring

**The Next Generation**

**Title: **Episode 1 – School Harder

**Author: **CeciliaRose

**Editor/Co-Author: **Dee

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the story idea and the characters I made up so poo on you. I will be using things from episodes throughout the story. BTVS and ATS are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, etc. just don't sue me, K?

**Author's Note: **So I'm resubmitting my stories…cuz I feel like it…enjoy!And i know not everybody's gonna wanna, but i really suggest you go look at the pictures, cuz i think it'll um enhance your reading experience to see the characters the way i do. **Ok, I got complaints that people couldn't see my pictures, but i don't understand why not - all you gotta do is copy and then paste the 'links' into the address bar and delete all of the spaces. won't let me put them in here as links so that's how I had to do it, if there are still problems, please let me know, and tell me what happens when you try to go to the pictures so that i know what's going on and can fix it, cuz i really want u guys to see these pix.**

**STARRING**

**Sarah Michelle Gellar…………………………………………………………...……………………….…Buffy Anne Williams**

**James Marsters………………………………………………………………………………………….…………Spike Williams**

**Christina Aquilera……………………………………………….…………………………………..…Deanna Michelle Williams**

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**NicholasBrendan……………………………………………….………………………………………Alexander LaVelle Harris **

**Emma Caulfield………………………………………………..………………………………………….…Anya Emerson Harris**

**Shannon Elizabeth...…………………………………………….………………………………………………Jenna Lynn Harris**

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**Alyson Hannigan………………………………………………………………………………………………...Willow Rosenberg**

**Mena Suvari…………………………………………...……………………………………………...…Evelyn Grace Rosenberg**

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**Eva Marcelle Pigford……………………………………………………………………………..………………Rosalie Pimentel**

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**David Boreanaz………………………………….……………………………………………………………………………Angel**

**Julie Benz…………………………………..……………………………………………………………………………….…Darla**

**Josh Hartnett…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Connor Angel**

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**Juliet Landau………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Drusilla**

**Chad Michael Murray……………..………………………………………………………………………..……Deacon Aurelius**

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**Jordana Brewster……………...…………………………………………………………………………...Julianna Dee Aurelius**

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**Charisma Carpenter……….…………………………………………………………………………………….…Cordelia Chase**

**Justin Timberlake……...…………………………………………………………………………………...Kelton Dennis Chase**

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**J. August Richards…..……………………………………………………………………………………………….Charles Gunn**

**Amy Acker………..…………………………………………………………………………………………Winifred Burkle Gunn**

**Christina Milian………...………………………………………………………………………………………….…Charity Gunn**

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**Christian Kane……….……………………………………………………………………………………...…Lindsay McDonald**

**Hayden Christensen………………………………………………………………………………………………Kane McDonald**

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**Alexis Denisof…………………...………………………………………………………………………...Wesley Wyndam-Pryce**

**Michelle Trachtenberg……………………………………………………………………………………….……Dawn Summers**

**Eliza Dushku………...…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Faith**

**Andy Hallet……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Lorne**

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**Willa Ford…………………..……………………………...……………………………………………………………Emily Slick**

**Devon Aoki.……………………...………………………………………………………………………………..Deborah Areihj**

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If you didn't go look at all those pictures, your a loser. GO DO IT NOW! ...please...


	2. Chapter One

**School Harder**

**Title: **Episode 1 – School Harder

**Author: **CeciliaRose

**Editor/Co-Author: **Dee

**Summary: **The children/spawn of the Scooby Gang and the children/spawn of the Angel Investigations Team go to school at a newly rebuilt Sunnydale High School

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the story idea and the characters I made up so poo on you. I will be using things from episodes throughout the story. BTVS and ATS are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, etc. just don't sue me, K?

**Author's Note: **So I'm resubmitting my stories…cuz I feel like it…enjoy!

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Dea was lost. And yet, she felt right at home.

Wandering through a place she didn't know and was very curious about.

A subterranean chamber, perhaps; or the hidden lair of some horrible beast – this dark, dank, forgotten place of dampness and decay. She moved on through the gloom, wary and eager, trying to figure out where she was, how to find her way out again. And yet one part of her wanted to stay, felt oddly comfortable here.

She turned a corner and was faced with a wall on which hung two identical mirrors. She approached the one on the left slowly and peered into it. Nothing. She had no reflection. She reached out and touched it, tracing the delicate, ancient design of the frame. She gasped as she moved on to look into the second mirror. Her face was contorted into a horrible shape, and when she had gasped she'd caught a glimpse of her elongated canines. She brought her trembling hand up to feel the ridges on her face. She looked just like a vampi-

Without warning a shadow rose up behind her. Foul and evil; a shadow as black as death itself, roaring through her head, through her veins, all around her. And with it, it brought voices. Whispers full of hate, cruelty, and worst of all, truth: "You belong _here_…one of us…can't hide…OURS!"

Deanna Williams' eyes flew open. Nightmare. Just a nightmare. Sure it was an eerily realistic nightmare, but just a nightmare all the same. She was relatively used to them by now, having had them for all of her life. Well, according to her memories, that is. But could she trust her memories anymore? It was hard to tell these days…

"Dea?"

"I'm awake, Mum."

"Hurry up! You don't want to be late do you?"

"No," Dea mumbled to herself as she got out of bed. "Wouldn't want that."

Buffy Williams smiled at her daughter's softly spoken words and the uncertainty in her young voice, remembering having said the same thing to her own mother on a similar morning. Those days all seemed so long ago now.

"Is Dea up?" Spike asked coming out of their room, buttoning his shirt.

"Huh?" Buffy turned to face her bleached husband.

"Dea. Is she awake?" Dawn reiterated her brother-in-law's question.

"Oh. Yeah, she should be ready in a second," Buffy answered and then went downstairs to make breakfast (put the milk next to the cereal).

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"JENNA!" Alexander Harris yelled up the stairs to his 16-year-old daughter. "Hurry up! You're going to be late!"

"I'll be down in a minute!" Jen yelled back down to her father who obviously didn't understand the importance of accessorizing. "Mom, will you please tell Dad to chill?" she asked as her mother walked past her room.

"Actually, your father's right. You do need to hurry up and get to school." Anya replied to her teenage daughter who was only half-way through curling her hair and applying her make-up.

"Fine! I'll finish in the car! But if I get my make-up all over my face and I'm ridiculed by my peers and scarred emotionally and socially for the rest of my life, _you're_ paying for my therapy," Jen said as she gathered her things and made her way out the door to her father's car.

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"Eve? Are you ready?" Willow Rosenberg inquired, sticking her head into her daughter's room.

"Yeah, Mom, I'm ready," Evelyn replied as she put a clip in the side of her hair.

"Alright then, let's go enhance your brain in the wonderful world of learning," Willow said grabbing her car keys off the dresser.

"Whatever, Mom," Eve said giggling.

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"So you're basically trying to tell me that the Lakers are _better _than the 76ers? No way, man. I'm sorry, but you are _seriously_ mistaken," Kelton Chase said to his best friend Connor as he pulled his car into the parking space in front of Sunnydale High School's parking lot.

"No, my friend," Connor replied as he got out of the car shaking his head. "You're the one who seems to be delirious. With their offensive line-up, the Lakers beat the '6ers, easy."

"Then why are they always losing to them?" Kel said, smirking.

Connor lifted his head from locking his car doors and was about to respond when he saw her. She was wearing dark blue jeans that tied up the side with light blue laces and a dark blue shirt that looked to be made of denim and had a somewhat deep collar that dipped enough to show some cleavage and still retain some classiness. Her hair was blond and went past her shoulders; it was pulled back some, but a couple of strands had come lose and were in her face. She was absolutely, indescribably beautiful.

"Con?" Kel asked, noticing the change in his demeanor and looked in the same direction and looked in the same direction, wondering what it was that had him so captivated. In doing so he found himself just as captivated, but by the blonde's redheaded friend.

She was also wearing dark blue jeans, but hers laced up on the side with light brown laces and only on her hips and a bit on the bottom of the legs. They tied in the front with laces of the same color. She was wearing a tan shirt that had romantic sleeves that ended at her elbows and tied in the front with laces that were the exact same shade of red as her hair. Her hair was a bit longer that her companion's and styled a bit simpler, curled a bit at the end.

"Wow," Kel breathed, taken by her simple beauty.

"Yeah," Connor agreed simply, as the spell over both of them was broken as the girls entered the school building. "So…what do you say we-"

"Follow the hot chicks inside, pretend we're lost, and ask them to help us?" Kel cut him off with a smirk.

"Well, I was just gonna say something along the lines of 'seize the moment,' but yeah, that works too," Connor smiled as they walked toward the building.

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"This is it?" Julianna Aurelius asked her brother, unimpressed as they pulled up to the school in his black Mercedes Benz.

"Well, what were you expecting? A screaming pit of death?" Deacon Aurelius answered, sounding annoyed.

"They way Mother described it: yes," Juli shot back.

"Yes, well, Mother uses the words 'breath-taking' and 'innovatory' to describe a torture chamber, so…" Deacon said, unconsciously cringing at the thought of that…woman.

Julianna simply glared at her brother and slammed the car door. She hated when he spoke ill of their mother. It wasn't her fault she was – hello! Her train of thought cut off abruptly when she saw him. He was handsome in a slightly dark way, with short dark brown hair. He was dressed just like any other teenaged boy would be, but there was something about him that attracted her – something familiar.

Deacon immediately noticed the subtle difference in his sister's mood and followed her train of sight. _Great,_ he thought. _Julianna's already distracted! Just what we need_…He didn't care if she had her fun, as long as it didn't get in the way off what they were here to do.

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	3. Chapter Two

**School Harder**

**Title: **Episode 1 – School Harder

**Author: **CeciliaRose

**Editor/Co-Author: **Dee

**Summary: **The children/spawn of the Scooby Gang and the children/spawn of the Angel Investigations Team go to school at a newly rebuilt Sunnydale High School

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the story idea and the characters I made up so poo on you. I will be using things from episodes throughout the story. BTVS and ATS are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, etc. just don't sue me, K?

**Author's Note: **So I'm resubmitting my stories…cuz I feel like it…enjoy! Um, yeah, so this basically replaces Season Six of Buffy, and just pretend that Connor never got stolen from ATS. Yeah…and you'll notice there are only four periods a day, but that's because they're on block scheduling like I was in High School…

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"So where are you guys from?" Dea's question was directed at both of them, but she was looking only at Connor. The two boys had stopped her and Eve in the crowded hallway, pulling out their schedules and asking for directions. Their little ploy would've worked, too, had they considered the fact that this was the Grand Re-opening of SHS, and _no one_ new their way around.

Still, the girls thought the boys were cute and struck up a friendly conversation with them. Which leads us back to the answer to Dea's question:

"We were both born in LA," Connor answered carefully.

"And you live here now?" Eve asked looking into Kel's striking blue eyes. She just couldn't seem to look away.

"Yeah, our parents just moved back here when they found out that this school was re-opening," Kel responded.

"Really? They liked it here that much?" Dea asked surprised. Who in their right mind would move _back_ to the Hellmouth?

"Yup," Kel said flashing his patented devil-may-care grin. "I guess you could say they wanted to come back and make sure everything didn't go all to hell."

Dea and Eve exchanged a look. He'd said it in a joking manner, but they both got the impression that there was some truth behind those words. Could these guys possibly know more about this town's history than they were letting on?

Unfortunately, Dea was stopped from asking any questions by the bell for homeroom ringing, but she resolved to find out just how much they knew about the Hellmouth next time she got a chance.

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**FIRST PERIOD:**

"…in this class, you will be learning about the fundamentals of…" the teacher droned on and on. This class was going to suck.

**_BANG!_** The half of the class that was asleep were startled awake by the door slamming open to reveal another student. She was a light-skinned African-American girl, standing at about 5'5''. She was wearing a dark blue athletic tee with the number five on the front, and tight hip-hugger black jeans. Her hair was cut very short and dyed a flattering blonde. And there wasn't one male in the room who could keep his eyes off of her.

"Sorry about that," she addressed the teacher, referring to the big dent in the wall the door handle had made when she threw it open.

_Talk about your shoddy construction work,_ Kel thought appraising the damage. _If a girl that small can cause a dent like **that.**_ But Dea had a different reasoning. She also couldn't keep her eyes off of the girl, but for completely different reasons than the guys in the class. This girl had her latent Slayer Senses going crazy.

"It's no…problem," the teacher responded, eyeing the dent and wondering if it would come out of her salary. "Name please," she demanded.

"Rosalie Pimentel. Call me Rose," she responded and then turned to take her seat, her eyes locking with Dea's as she made her way over. _She's a fighter._ Dea had no idea where that information came from but she knew immediately that is was true. _Well, that's just great! First day of school and I've already got someone to worry about._ Something about this girl had her senses singling her out as competition and prey, all at once.

"Hello, I'm Rose," the girl introduced herself, slipping into the empty seat in between Dea and Kel.

"Yeah, I heard," Dea tried to sound cordial. "I'm Deanna."

"Nice to meet you," Rose said, shaking the hand Dea offered. She seemed nice enough, and it just made her all the more cautious, wondering what it was that put her superhuman senses on alert. And, while she was very pretty, there was something about her appearance that seemed more than just a little off.

"And I'm Kel," he interjected, not one to miss out on a chance to get to know a beautiful girl. "You have absolutely striking eyes, by the way."

And that's when Dea realized what about Rose's appearance was off: she had deep purple eyes. "Are you wearing contacts?"

"Oh, no. I can't stand the thought of touching my eyes," and as Dea looked closer, she realized that she was telling the truth – that was obviously her true eye color.

_Weird,_ she thought. Maybe she'd a demon…

"Excuse me!" Mrs. Kyerner broke into Dea's thoughts. "Is there something you three would like to share with the class or are you going to be quiet and pay attention?"

"Sorry," Dea mumbled, embarrassed to be called out in front of the class like that.

"So, as I was saying…" and on she droned about the fundamentals of Algebra 2 until the bell chimed and saved the class from purgatory.

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**THIRD PERIOD:**

"Fore score and seven year ago, some people that are dead now did some stuff and blah, blah, blah! I mean, does it really even matter what happened before I was born? Cuz if you ask me, that's when things really got started," Jen said to the history teacher as he fought not to roll his eyes.

"What an…_interesting_ sentiment, Miss Harris. But, yes, it does in fact matter. Haven't you ever heard the saying: 'Those who forget History are doomed to repeat it'?"

"Um, no. But have you ever heard the saying: 'I don't care'?"

"Okay, so she had weird eyes, so what? Maybe she has a disease or something," Eve whispered to Dea. She'd filled her best friend in on the new girl and her suspicions, but Eve didn't seem to share them.

"I don't know. It sort of reminded me of how _our_ eyes can sometimes get, ya know?" And before Eve could cut her off to remind her that they were special cases, she trudged on. "Besides, it wasn't just her eyes. She had this weird, like, aura, or whatever about her," she added and debated whether or not to reveal to her friend that the guy she was so enamored with seemed really into the new girl.

"Well, we'll have to talk about it later, cuz the teacher's been giving us dirty looks."

"Actually, I think those are directed at Jenny: you are sitting right behind her."

The girls giggled as the teacher tried to explain to Jen why she had to take World History II

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	4. Chapter Three

**School Harder**

**Title: **Episode 1 – School Harder

**Author: **CeciliaRose

**Editor/Co-Author: **Dee

**Summary: **The children/spawn of the Scooby Gang and the children/spawn of the Angel Investigations Team go to school at a newly rebuilt Sunnydale High School

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the story idea and the characters I made up so poo on you. I will be using things from episodes throughout the story. BTVS and ATS are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, etc. just don't sue me, K?

**Author's Note: **pinkyblue-ice: thanx for the review! Um, try copying and pasting the link into your browser window, and then you have to delete all of the spaces (cuz doesn't let me put links in my text) and try it w/o the (http/), like just start with i56. so on and etc.

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"I'm just saying: There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be unfashionable. Ever," Jenna said as she emerged from the girls' locker room, her two "Jennettes," Deborah and Emily following closely behind and hanging on to her every word. The three girls were "actively protesting" the school's gym class dress code: instead of the distributed bulky maroon shorts and over-long, scratchy off-white shirt with "RAZORBACKS" ironed on the front diagonally, they were wearing small maroon cheerleading shorts and small athletic tees with "RAZOR SHARP" printed across their breasts. They were even distributing the self-designed uniforms (ordered in bulk by Emily's rich Daddy) to girls that they deemed fit to wear them.

"At least _we_ look cute," Emily spoke up hopefully.

"I just hope we don't get all sweaty," Deb interjected.

"Ewwww!" all three girls cried in unison after thinking about the connotations of that statement for a minute. With that they all hurried off to sit on the bleachers to gossip and flirt with the football players in their class for the rest of the period.

"What an interesting outlook on exercise they have," Rose started conversationally as she came to stand next to Eve who was shaking her head at the three girls' silliness. Eve was wearing the school issue gym uniform, while Rose was deemed worthy and given the "newer, improved" version to wear. "I'm Rose, by the way," she said extending her hand in greeting.

"I'm Evelyn. Eve," she responded shaking her had, but staying on guard. Dea had said she was suspicious of this girl, and Dea's suspicions were usually justified.

"You know, I feel kind of weird," Rose said, her strange eyes boring into Eve's, "new girl, and all."

"Well," Eve said, not able to tear her eyes away, "we're all technically new. Seeing as how the school was just built and all…"

"But you all grew up together, though, right? I mean, you've know each other your whole lives?"

"Well, supposedly," and she knew she should stop right there, but she couldn't. Something about those eyes – they were pulling her in, making her feel safe, encouraging her to spill it all. "But it isn't as if we've truly been alive all that long. Our memories -" she stopped suddenly, shaking her head, trying to clear the sudden fog there. What? What just happened?

"I'm sorry, what was I just saying?" she asked, confused as she looked back to Rose. And then it hit her – what she'd just revealed, and she noticed that Rose's eyes had an eerie light to them now, and that she seemed almost excited. _Oh, God! She is a demon!_

"Will you excuse me for a minute," she said backing away from her slowly, and trying to find a way to get out of the conversation without letting on that she knew something was off. "I have to…go…somewhere. Bye!" And with that she hurried out of the gym in search of Dea.

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_Damn it! _Rose thought, disappointed, as she watched Eve depart. _Well, at least now I know it's them. But I need to get closer; somehow__…_ she let her eyes scan the gym, trying to relocate the brunette and her two little friends. But she (like every other teenaged super human in this 'hormones on parade' story…) got distracted by the sight of an attractive member of the opposite sex. He was…exquisite, to say the least. He had short, dark hair, and his eyes were so dark that from this distance, they looked to be black. He was dressed especially stunningly; wearing only black basketball shorts and a wife beater, but, oh, did they fit him marvelously. He must've felt her gaze on him because he turned and looked into her eyes, and immediately started making his way over to her. He moved with slow, deliberate steps that belied a natural grace.

"Deacon," he said as he came to stand directly in front of her. He didn't truly know what was happening, but the second he'd locked eyes with her, a strong and commanding voice and spoken to him. "Go to her," it'd said, and growing up the way he (supposedly) had, he knew better than to ignore random voices in his head.

"Rose," she said, extending her hand. Was it just her imagination or did her voice crack and her hand shake slightly? She was startled to find his hand cold as the school's AC was down and every room in the building was hot. She looked up and was about to question this when she caught sight of a basketball flying at his head in her peripheral vision. She tackled him to the ground to prevent him from getting hit.

He seemed completely unfazed as he commented on her quick reflexes and she blushed. Wait – she blushed? No way. She never blushed. But there was a slight tint to her cheeks…

"Sorry about that!" the guy from her Algebra class (Ken?) exclaimed as he rushed over to them. He grabbed her hand, and almost too forcefully, pulled her off of Deacon. "Must've gotten away from me. Are you okay?" he asked, concern absolutely pouring from his deep blue eyes.

"I think you should be asking Deacon that," Rose replied, extracting her hand and looking to her new acquaintance.

"I'm fine, thanks to you," he said grinning at her.

"Well, sorry bout that, man. The name's Kelton," Kel said thrusting his hand at Deacon and putting some space between this new guy and Rose.

"Deacon," he replied simply, not missing Kel's forceful manner, the way he was squeezing his hand just hard enough to be uncomfortable, or the way he had looked at Rose earlier. He seriously doubted whether that ball had come at his head accidentally.

And it hadn't. Kel had been watching Rose from across the room and trying to think of something to say to her when he'd noticed Deacon approaching her. He'd taken it upon himself to break _that_ up.

Rose was genuinely amused by the way these two were acting. It reminded her of the old times, when noblemen and princes alike would come from the world around in hopes of impressing her enough that she would take them as a husband, or if they were lucky, a lover.

"So Deacon," Kel started but was cut off by the bell.

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**AFTER SCHOOL IN (surprise, surprise!) THE LIBRARY:**

"So you say she was excited when you revealed that your life hasn't been very long?" Giles was questioning Evelyn, as she had relayed the incident in the gym to him and Dea.

"You revealed what!" Jenna exclaimed as she entered the library. "Please do not tell me that Little Miss Wicca, Jr. is already running her mouth about our 'mysterious' origins."

"I didn't mean to!" Eve cried in her own defense. "I swear I didn't. You were right about those eyes of hers Dea," she said turning to her _nice_ best friend, "they draw you in and make you wanna just tell your life story."

"It's okay, Eve. We understand. No one is blaming you," she said, turning to glare pointedly at her other best friend.

"What? Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Eve, it's not your fault," she said in a sing-song voice. "But I mean," she continued, taking a Twinkie out of her Louis Vuitton purse, "if this chick is a big bad, then you've just hander her, or it, the info it was looking for on a silver platter."

"Speaking of your parents: I think you should all go report this information to them respectively. There's not much more we can do about the situation right now, so go home," Giles commanded, disappearing into the stacks to research demons with purple eyes.

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	5. Chapter Four

**School Harder**

**Title: **Episode 1 – School Harder

**Author: **CeciliaRose

**Beta: **Dee

**Summary: **The children/spawn of the Scooby Gang and the children/spawn of the Angel Investigations Team go to school at a newly rebuilt Sunnydale High School

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the story idea and the characters I made up so poo on you. I will be using things from episodes throughout the story. BTVS and ATS are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, etc. just don't sue me, K?

**Author's Note: **chika chika boom boom; lyrics in the bronze are from 'Son of a Gun' by Janet Jackson and Missy Elliot

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Double pump right kick to the side; left high kick to the right temple; right punch to the chest; left knee to the face; grab throw into the side of the crypt; stake to the heart. One down. Deanna looked to her left to see her mother taking out another. Number two. She heard her father grunt behind her and turned in time to she the short-stocky vamp throw him down on to a headstone. Spike was back up in a split second, fine. Three. _So that leaves two more __– ow!_ The chick-pire slammed her into the wall of the crypt, head first. Dea jumped up and spun to retaliate when the chick turned to dust right on the spot. The dust cleared to reveal Spike, Buffy not far behind him.

"Where's the other one," she asked scanning the graveyard.

"Got away," Buffy answered, dusting herself off.

"That's enough patrolling for tonight, right?" Dea asked as she checked her watch.

"You have somewhere better to be?" her father questioned.

"I told Eve I'd meet her at the Bronze," she explained as the family of three made their way out of the graveyard.

"Well, it doesn't look like there's gonna be much more excitement around here tonight," Buffy said. "So the Bronze sounds like a good game plan."

"Um, mom, I was sort of just supposed to meet Eve there, ya know, by myself – no parents allowed," this was one of the biggest problems with having her mother be so…young. Because it's one thing for the kids at school to think your Guidance Counselor mom is "cool, and looks _amazing_ for her age," but another one all together for them to see her freak-dancing with your "sexy" (gross!) young father.

"Why not? We're still cool aren't we?" this earned Buffy a pointed "not cool enough" look from her daughter.

"It's fine, we help Rupert with the research on this purple eyed girl of yours," Spike spoke up, always the sort of mediator between his wife and daughter.

"Thanks, Dad!" Dea said hugging both of her parents and hurrying off before Buffy could protest. "I'll probably spend the night at Eve's, so don't wait up, k?"

"What if I really wanted to go?" Buffy pouted as Spike took her hand and they watched their daughter practically skip down the sidewalk towards the "bad side" of town. "I'm still down. I can hang with the homies," she was joking, obviously, but it was still all so weird. Here she was, 21-years-old, with a 16-year-old child! And to make matters worse, please just ignored it, like it didn't matter, or worse, they couldn't tell. You'd think it would take getting used to, but it didn't. the memories of sixteen years of have a child were all there, like sixteen years had passed in the time frame of one summer…

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_Man, I hope Eve's not mad at me for being late, _Dea thought to herself as she entered the somewhat crowded Bronze, but from the looks of it, her best friend hadn't even missed her. Eve was sitting at a table in the corner laughing, presumably at something Kel had said, as both him and Conner were currently sharing her company. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Dea could've sworn that Conner's eyes brightened slightly as she reached their table and he said, "Eve said you'd be coming – we saved a seat for you." He indicated the empty stool next to him.

"Thanks," she replied, smiling warmly at him. "Sorry I'm late. We ran into some…problems," she explained to Eve.

"Oh, it's alright. Kel and Connor have been keeping me company," she said smiling at Kel, who smiled right back.

Then he glanced up and his focus shifted. "Why don't we dance," he suggested as he turned back to the table and say Rose move to the center of the dance floor through his peripheral vision.

"Ok," Eve agreed instantly, thrilled at the prospect of having an excuse to get even closer to him. Connor on the other hand wasn't too excited about the idea, and, seeing this, Dea said, "Actually, I'm not so much in the dancing mood tonight." She turned to Connor, "You wouldn't mind sitting here and keeping me company, would you?"

"Of course not," he said giving her a thankful smile. Kel was always trying to getting him to be more outgoing: couldn't he see that he just wasn't an outgoing kind of guy?

"Alright then, I guess that just leaves all of the grooving to me and Eve," he said winking at his new companion and making her blush prettily.

"Thanks," Connor said to Dea as their friends left them and moved towards the center.

"I'm guessing you're not so big on the dancing," she said, sipping her diet Coke and trying to make conversation.

"To be honest, I've never even tried before," he admitted, "I'm too afraid that I might have the dancing abilities of my father," he said grinning as he 'remembered' catching his father writhing to the tunes of The Temptations.

"So do you live just with your father, or your mother too?" Dea asked noticing the way he smiled when speaking of his father.

"My father and Kel's mother are together. My actual mother is…not in the picture," he said grimacing slightly at the thought of his origins. "So what about you?" he said quickly, trying to shift the focus of the conversation.

"Well, my mother and father used to hate each other…"

----------

Meanwhile, out on the dance floor Kel and Eve were getting _pretty_ close. They rubbed their bodies against each other in time to the rhythmic pumping of the music. Eve had managed to get Kel to forget about Rose – well, momentarily, that is. Then he saw her again: surrounded by a group of at least five guys, and yet she seemed completely remote from them, and was dancing by herself. No, not by herself, Kel realized, she seemed to be dancing with the music itself – her hips swaying and her body moving flawlessly with the invisible body of the music.

"What's the matter?" Eve asked, worry shining through her bright, green eyes. Kelton had gotten so caught up in watching Rose's hypnotic movements that he had forgotten to move himself.

"Nothing. I just saw an old friend," he said, not even looking at her. "Excuse me for a minute?" he asked, moving off towards Rose without waiting for a reply.

"No problem," she mumbled dejectedly to herself as she watched him walk toward the beautiful but strange girl she'd met in gym class. _Figures,_ she thought to herself, and began making her way through the writhing bodies back to the table.

----------

**Ha ha**

**Hoo hoo**

**Thought you'd get the money too**

**Greedy, greedy, greedy**

**Try to have that cake and eat it too**

Rose could feel the music literally pumping through her veins as she danced. She always loved the way she became one with it – even in the old days when the music was completely different. She felt a subtle shift in the air around her and caught the scent of a new male, different than that of any of the five monkeys writhing around her. Another had decided to come and try to dance with her. Imbeciles. Couldn't they see that she was more than happy dancing there with herself?

**Ain't no way that you could bring me down easy**

**Any chick that you stick is real sleazy**

When Kelton had been watching, he'd wondered why none of the guys had even attempted to touch her or at least get closer. He now realized that it was because none of them would dare to break the invisible force field that seemed to be around her. It was like it held back anyone who was unworthy of touching her, and that seemed to be any and everyone.

**You slump, bump, son of a gun**

**And, uh, how much you worth?**

**I think negative, done**

She felt the air shift even more and was confused for a split second before she realized that the newcomer was coming much closer than the others had even dared to think about. _How dare he?_ she thought to herself angrily – no one danced with her! And yet, she was (albeit grudgingly) impressed with his apparent boldness. She turned around to see who had the gumption to attempt to get next to her, and was greeted with Kelton's attractive grin.

**Sharp shooter into breaking hearts**

**Baby gigolo – a sex pistol**

As Rose turned and recognized him, her face softened and she stopped glaring. Instead she gave him a mischievous little grin and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Try and keep up." He returned her grin with his own cocky one and thought to himself, _I can handle this._

**Hollering at everything that walks**

**No substance, just small talk**

Rose felt his hands travel south as they danced and she was a bit taken back as they reached her behind and squeezed slightly. _He thinks he's got this,_ she realized, more impressed than ever with his confidence.

**Now why you feeling on that girl's behind?**

**You've got a sleazy, one-track mind**

Kelton quickly came to the realization that this was more than just a dance, but also a battle of wills. And a chance to prove that he could handle her (because she so obviously needed handling) and that he was 'worthy' of her attentions.

**Working your work until you think you find**

**Who's going home with you tonight**

He was daring, yes, but he was also cute. Rose noticed that the other males had left and she looked up, making real eye contact with him for the first time. "I'm impressed," she said truthfully. And as she searched his eyes she came to another realization, and almost jumped out of her skin she was so excited. _How lucky,_ she thought as he smiled down at her.

"You ain't seen nothing yet," he replied, leaning in to kiss her. She let him get close, but at the last second she moved her head so that her mouth was at his ear. "And I didn't ask to, either," she said in a throaty voice that sent shivers down his spine.

He pulled back to look into those strangely beautiful eyes again, grinning. "You're quite the-" he stopped abruptly and a blank look came over his face as the entirety of both of his eyes (pupil, iris, _everything_) went white.

Rose simply continued grinning. _Finally__…_

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Dun, dun, dun…commercial! Review, review, review, please.


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